Over the Monster - All PostsBut Can He Pitch?https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/32934/otm-fv.jpg2017-09-26T16:58:02-04:00http://www.overthemonster.com/rss/current/2017-09-26T16:58:02-04:002017-09-26T16:58:02-04:00Red Sox vs. Blue Jays lineup: Chris Sale pitches for the single-season K record and maybe the Cy Young
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<p>The team record, that is, in pitching strikeouts. Not hitting.</p> <p id="NYOXaE">The lead is four. The magic number is three. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/112652/chris-sale">Chris Sale</a> has some business to which to attend, and he’ll do it without <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/192207/mookie-betts">Mookie Betts</a> and Dustin Pedroia. He needs to top 13 Ks for the mark. Here are the full lineups:</p>
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https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/26/16369682/red-sox-vs-blue-jays-lineup-chris-sale-pitches-for-the-single-season-k-record-and-maybe-the-cy-youngbryanjoiner2017-09-26T10:30:01-04:002017-09-26T10:30:01-04:00Where do the Red Sox stand in the awards races?
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<p>Will any players take home some hardware this winter?</p> <p id="4hIyJA">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox">Red Sox</a> have one week left in the regular season and then they will move on to play more baseball in October. There is only one thing on their minds and I can tell you it sure as h*ck isn’t winning any individual awards. Or, at least, it’s not the most important thing on their mind. It’s on my mind, though, because the amount of focus I have on the Red Sox winning a championship has no effect on whether or not they will actually win said championship, a fact that gives me unfathomable freedom. So, for this moment we’re not talking about what comes immediately after the regular season ends. Instead, we’re talking about what comes after the postseason, and specifically which Red Sox players could be in contention for some awards. Let’s do it.</p>
<h3 id="g8L9JA">Gold Glove</h3>
<p id="QRd5Rb">There are a few of Red Sox players who could be in line for a Gold Glove award this year. As we all know, this isn’t the most reputable award and the voting can be questionable at times, though I think that narrative gets overplayed these days. Either way, the top contender on the Red Sox people will be talking about is Jackie Bradley. Obviously as people who watch him on a daily basis we know how incredible he is in center field, yet he’s never won the award. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll get it this year, either. If he does, I certainly wouldn’t argue with it and there’s reason to believe he deserves it. However, there are some incredible center fielders all across the league. Even with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/130229/kevin-kiermaier">Kevin Kiermaier</a> — the best defensive center fielder in baseball in this writer’s opinion — missing time, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/190429/kevin-pillar">Kevin Pillar</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/188829/byron-buxton">Byron Buxton</a> will also get plenty of love. My guess would be that Buxton will win, but any of the three could feasibly take home the trophy so that would give Bradley about a 33 percent chance of winning. I assure you that is a very, very scientific probability.</p>
<p id="2e1A1n">Bradley is the one we’re most concerned with, but the other two outfielders have a shot, too. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/192207/mookie-betts">Mookie Betts</a> is the favorite to take the award in right field, and I would be completely shocked if he didn’t take the award. I’m wary of calling a corner player the best defender in the game, but Betts obviously isn’t your average corner player and if anyone could take that title it’d be him. Benintendi has also been good, and left field isn’t exactly flush with great defensive players. However, playing at Fenway hurts everyone’s defensive reputation and he’s probably a longshot to win.</p>
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<img alt="Boston Red Sox v Baltimore Orioles" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KNtJ41nk6fD8MAxwlASqSiZ-V4U=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9327829/849861448.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="qGBeAh">The other contenders from the Red Sox are <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/173/dustin-pedroia">Dustin Pedroia</a> and Chris Sale. Pedroia has probably missed too much time and when he has played as been the DH a little too often. Still, despite his age the man can still defend. As for Sale, I have no idea. Pitchers are probably the positions at which the voters are worst at deciding, and name value matters here. I don’t think Sale is the best defensive pitcher in baseball, but maybe he could win the award. Who knows. I’m sure some will ask about <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/130105/christian-vazquez">Christian Vazquez</a>, too, but I’m not sure he played enough to get real consideration. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/34129/martin-maldonado">Martin Maldonado</a> of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/los-angeles-angels">Angels</a> is the favorite behind the plate.</p>
<p id="yNcMLO">In the end, I think the Red Sox get one Gold Glove but they have a chance at at least a couple.</p>
<h3 id="IQf49a">Silver Slugger</h3>
<p id="WisAZl">lol</p>
<h3 id="JQuToj">Rookie of the Year</h3>
<p id="FLoGDU"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/280966/andrew-benintendi">Andrew Benintendi</a> has had an awesome rookie season, and while there have been some bumps along the way he has lived up to our expectations at the plate. He may be the only member of the Red Sox about whom we can say that. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that he’s been the best and most consistent hitter on the Red Sox this year. That he has done that on a playoff team as a rookie is wild. Unfortunately, he had to have his rookie season in the same year as Aaron Judge. Benintendi will finish second and it probably won’t be very close, but Judge will easily win the top spot and will probably do so unanimously.</p>
<h3 id="XILvdo">Manager of the Year</h3>
<p id="DLPmCV">If the Red Sox have a contender for Manager of the Year, it’s John Farrell. Crazy, right? Look, I don’t think he’s going to win and I don’t think he <em>deserves </em>to win, but the man has led this team to its second consecutive division title. No one, not even Terry Francona, has managed to do that. Obviously, the players are the most responsible for that, but Farrell has done enough that he’ll at least get some consideration. My guess is he’ll finish fifth, behind Joe Girardi, Terry Francona, Paul Molitor and A.J. Hinch in that order.</p>
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<h3 id="MMNHJn">Cy Young</h3>
<p id="8MieMP">I <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/21/16344226/american-league-cy-young-chris-sale-corey-kluber">talked</a> a lot about the top end of the Cy Young voting not too long ago and not much has changed since then. If you’re looking for my in-depth thoughts on the battle between Sale and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/126695/corey-kluber">Corey Kluber</a>, you can find them there. The short answer is that I have no idea who is going to win and that I’d lean towards Sale deserving it at this point but A) I’m biased and B) I wouldn’t be at all upset if Kluber edged him out. I’m also intrigued by Pomeranz’ chances, though. No, he’s not going to contend for the actual trophy, but I’m curious where he’ll finish in the voting. He definitely deserves to get some down-ballot votes, but it’s a crowded group beyond the top three of Sale, Kluber and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/253834/luis-severino">Luis Severino</a>.</p>
<h3 id="x6THNN">MVP</h3>
<p id="TvykSG">The Red Sox aren’t going to have the MVP winner. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/132921/jose-altuve">Jose Altuve</a> is probably the favorite at this point, though Judge is certainly going to get some love as well. Still, the Red Sox <em>do </em>have some interesting players further down the ballot. Sale is probably going to be the highest finisher among pitchers even if he loses the Cy Young. That’s pretty rare, but that race is close enough that Sale will get the edge for being more important to his team, which I think he inarguably is (again, I’m biased). I also think Betts could get some love, which goes to show how far we’ve come in awards voting. Betts has been disappointing at the plate for much of the year, but his defense and baserunning has still created a ton of value. I’m not the biggest fan of WAR in the world, but he’s seventh in the American League in fWAR even with the subpar batting numbers. It’s easy to forget just how high his floor is with everything he brings to the table.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/26/16363974/red-sox-mlb-awards-cy-young-gold-gloves-manager-of-the-yearMatt_Collins2017-09-26T09:01:01-04:002017-09-26T09:01:01-04:00How concerning is Drew Pomeranz’ recent performance?
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<p>Should we be worried about his postseason starts?</p> <p id="bv6BPn">With all of the moving pieces on the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox">Red Sox</a> and all of the questions surrounding their playoff roster, the one bit of stability and clarity has been with the top half of their rotation. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/112652/chris-sale">Chris Sale</a> is obviously their number one starter, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129125/drew-pomeranz">Drew Pomeranz</a> is just as obviously their number two starter. They’ve been the best and most consistent pitchers on the roster for the vast majority of the year and are arguably the two biggest reasons the team is in a position to be setting a postseason rotation in the first place. It’s almost certainly too late in the year for any of that to change. That being said, there is some reason to start doubting whether or not that’s the case. Sale has been a bit more shaky over the last month or so, though he’s still very clearly the ace and no one would suggest not starting him in Game One. Pomeranz, meanwhile, has been putting up solid performances much more often than not but there is a clear downtick in his stuff that can be seen by the naked eye. Now, people are starting to worry about what he can provide in the postseason and it certainly seems justified.</p>
<p id="IhXqCE">The reasons to be worried about Pomeranz moving forward for the rest of the year are fairly straightforward. It’s important to remember that this is a pitcher who has struggled to make it through full seasons before and last year showed signs of fatigue towards the end of the year. This year, he’s showing different signs with the most obvious being with his velocity. Below is a chart showing his fastball velocity from each start of the 2017 season. Note that it does not include Monday’s start, but that was an outing in which he was sitting in the high-80s with his fastball.</p>
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<p id="nfI7rb">It’s true that Pomeranz’ velocity has been declining since the start of August, but it hasn’t really been in a dangerous zone since the start of September. It’s a concerning trend, and it became a whole lot more concerning on Monday when the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/toronto-blue-jays">Blue Jays</a> were able to put up a crooked number and knock him out after just two innings of work. With all of this being said, I am here to provide a little bit of optimism. Or, probably more accurately, to try and eliminate just a little bit of your pessimism. </p>
<p id="dzm8jd">First, to be clear, anyone who is super worried about Pomeranz heading into the postseason has their reasons. It was hard to watch what happened against Toronto at Fenway and not see bad things happening if that’s the Pomeranz that shows up to play either Houston or Cleveland. Those are better lineups than Toronto’s and there’s little reason to believe they wouldn’t be able to do the same thing. Sometimes, fans have a tendency to overreact to one bad start, but that’s not necessarily the case here. </p>
<p id="k3xpgF">Now, we can get to a little bit of optimism. The biggest reason to hope this won’t be as big of a deal is that the team will hopefully be able to give him a bunch of rest before he takes the mound for a postseason game. This, of course, hinges on the Red Sox being able to clinch the division before the last two games of the year, but with a magic number of three they should be up to that task. If they can get that done, then Pomeranz shouldn’t have to make another start until Game Two of the ALDS. Sure, there would certainly be a simulated game or something along those lines worked in there to keep him fresh, but it wouldn’t be something to exert so much energy. The hope would be that this kind of rest would be able to bring back some of his velocity. He may not get back to the mid-to-high 90s fastball we saw earlier in the year, but just getting to 91-92 mph should be enough. Plus, and probably more importantly, the rest would hopefully help his command. This is the key for Pomeranz, as we’ve seen him succeed with lower velocity earlier this month because he was still able to locate his pitches. That was something he couldn’t do on Monday.</p>
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<p id="NxLgmo">Along with the extra rest, the realities of a playoff setting should be able to help Pomeranz. Part of that is simply the adrenaline rush that presumably comes from starting in October. We’ve seen pitchers who had no business succeeding on that stage put together strong outings. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/4417/clay-buchholz">Clay Buchholz</a> in the 2013 World Series comes immediately to mind. Even beyond that, starters are on a shorter leash in the playoffs with relievers more equipped to do more work. That means Pomeranz will not have to worry quite as much about getting deep into the game. If the fatigue is still there to any extent, it would probably be smart to tell him he’s going to be done after five innings no matter what and let him just fire it in there without concern for his efficiency or innings total. Whatever it takes to get his fastball back, to put in simply.</p>
<p id="wFzu2n">The Red Sox are a team that was built to win on its pitching and that’s exactly how they’ve gotten to this point in the year. With that being the case, it’s only natural to be worried when some of that pitching starts to show some warts. After allowing five runs in two innings on Monday, Pomeranz is atop the worrisome list and it’s totally valid. However, between the rest he will hopefully get before his next start and the realities of postseason pitching, he should be able to step up. None of this is a guarantee, of course, but there is at least plenty of reason to believe all is not lost.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/26/16365446/drew-pomeranz-performance-velocity-red-sox-postseasonMatt_Collins2017-09-26T08:00:08-04:002017-09-26T08:00:08-04:00MLB Playoff Update: September 26, 2017
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<p>The Angels keep losing.</p> <p id="FjUE6O"><em>With the minor-league season over and our typical 8:00 AM slot suddenly open, I figured it would be worthwhile to take a quick daily look at how the playoff picture has changed in the American League on a day-to-day basis. This will be nothing fancy. Just a look at how playoff contenders did on the day, how it affected the standings and what it means for the </em><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox"><em><strong>Red Sox</strong></em></a><em>. I’ll consider any team within five games of a playoff spot as a postseason contender. It is entirely possible this threshold will disappear completely as soon as tomorrow.</em></p>
<h3 id="84egPd">Scores</h3>
<p id="7ULpiU"><strong>NYY 11, KC 3</strong></p>
<p id="lveEzF"><strong>TOR 6, BOS 4</strong></p>
<p id="dKraAg"><strong>HOU 11, TEX 2</strong></p>
<p id="W8zyh1"><strong>CHW 4, LAA 2</strong></p>
<h3 id="1oLges">Playoff Odds</h3>
<p id="BjAueu"><em><strong>The Baseball Prospectus odds have not updated at the time of this writing. This post will be updated later in the afternoon.</strong></em></p>
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<h3 id="QxvMvx">Division Odds</h3>
<p id="7atNzI"><em><strong>The Baseball Prospectus odds have not updated at the time of this writing. This post will be updated later in the afternoon.</strong></em></p>
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<h3 id="DqdKjj">Playoff Picture Update</h3>
<p id="RzOW6U">With the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/los-angeles-angels">Angels</a> losing on Monday and the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/minnesota-twins">Twins</a> having the day off, Los Angeles moves to five games out of the wildcard and essentially hands it over to Minnesota. Any change in the wildcard at the point would be the result of an epic collapse that would be talked about for years to come. The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/new-york-yankees">Yankees</a> also won, of course, meaning they are back within four games of Boston for the division. The last note from the American League is the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/houston-astros">Astros</a> win, a victory that brings them within two games of Cleveland for the top overall seed in the league. Over in the NL, things are much more interesting. The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/colorado-rockies">Rockies</a> lost on Monday while the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/milwaukee-brewers">Brewers</a> had the day off, so the latter is within 1.5 games of the wildcard. St. Louis is right there as well, though they also lost on Monday so they remain 2.5 games back. Hopefully we’ll get this race to go right down to the wire.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/26/16365470/mlb-playoff-picture-update-september-26-2017Matt_Collins2017-09-26T07:01:02-04:002017-09-26T07:01:02-04:00Daily Red Sox Links: Mookie Betts, Eduardo Nunez, Drew Pomeranz
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<p>Monday was not a great night for the Red Sox. </p> <p id="pM07lQ"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/192207/mookie-betts">Mookie Betts</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/359/rajai-davis">Rajai Davis</a> both shared their views on the protests in the NFL and if it will spread into Major League Baseball. (<a href="http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/09/mookie_betts_rajai_davis_give.html">Jen McCaffrey; MassLive</a>)</p>
<p id="dRUT0h">Speaking of Betts, he has become a phenomenally sound base runner. (<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/09/25/how-mookie-betts-point-guard-skills-translate-baseball/oBXCOiMIlwFMNMDPBXGrBI/story.html">Alex Speier; Boston Globe</a>)</p>
<aside id="5ealcp"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 6","description":"Drew Pomeranz struggles and the Red Sox couldn’t recover","label":"The win streak stops at six.","url":"https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/25/16364594/red-sox-blue-jays-drew-pomeranz-eduardo-nunez-mookie-betts-bullpen"}'></div></aside><p id="K68TDi">However, Betts hurt his left wrist on Monday and needs to have it looked at today. (<a href="http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/mookie-betts-get-left-wrist-examined-tuesday">Evan Drellich; CSNNE</a>)</p>
<p id="cscsQL"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/33625/eduardo-nunez">Eduardo Nunez</a> finally came back to the lineup yesterday but he also suffered an injury. (<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2017/09/red_sox_notebook_eduardo_nunez_reinjures_knee_in_return_to_lineup">Jason Mastrodonato; Boston Herald</a>)</p>
<p id="8XcExN">To top it all off, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129125/drew-pomeranz">Drew Pomeranz</a> was not good in Monday’s start. Was it just a dud or a bad omen for the playoffs? (<a href="http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/09/are_drew_pomeranzs_velocity_di.html">Jen McCaffrey; MassLive</a>)</p>
<p id="WuS4Zt"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/286502/rafael-devers">Rafael Devers</a> could learn a lot from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/291/david-ortiz">David Ortiz</a> next spring. (<a href="http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/09/rafael_devers_35-homer_potenti.html">Christopher Smith; MassLive</a>)</p>
<p id="gKjGoh">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox">Red Sox</a> are a team that has benefited from the velocity surge on the mound. But how much higher can it go? (<a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/for-how-long-can-hitters-keep-pace/">Travis Sawchik; FanGraphs</a>)</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/26/16364072/boston-red-sox-links-mookie-betts-eduardo-nunez-drew-pomeranzPhil Neuffer2017-09-25T22:11:21-04:002017-09-25T22:11:21-04:00Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 6: Drew Pomeranz struggles and the Red Sox couldn’t recover
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<p>The win streak stops at six.</p> <p id="WWrCh1">This was not a good game as the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox">Red Sox</a> continue to try and lock up the division. They got a poor and worrisome performance from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129125/drew-pomeranz">Drew Pomeranz</a> as he looked as bad as he has in at least three months. Meanwhile, the offense wasn’t anything to write home about and the Red Sox lost both Eduardo Nuñez and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/192207/mookie-betts">Mookie Betts</a> to injury. The former re-aggravated his knee and this non-doctor’s eyes didn’t think it looked good. The latter, meanwhile, had his wrist bothering him and this non-doctor feels as if that one probably isn’t as bad, though it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if he got Tuesday off. If you are looking for a positive in this game, you can at least hang your hat on the bullpen which came in, tossed seven and allowed just one run.</p>
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<p id="QtnxN4">Pomeranz was the clear takeaway from this game, and for the first time in months that is not a good thing. He has had some shaky moments here and there during this strong run of pitching since June, but this is the first time we’ve seen him look truly <em>bad </em>in an outing. His velocity was way down with his fastball sitting around 89 mph. Even worse, he couldn’t command anything and was leaving these slow pitches in very hittable locations. As you can imagine, this was not a recipe for success, though things could have gone better with superior defense and luck.</p>
<p id="E2nUcH">Pomeranz only allowed one hit in his first inning of work, but it was surrounded by a couple of relatively loud outs. Or, at least, they weren’t overly quiet. Oh, and by the way, that hit? Yeah, that was pretty loud itself. It came off the bat of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31593/josh-donaldson">Josh Donaldson</a> and it in the form of a no-doubt home run off the light stanchion in left-center field to give Toronto a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game.</p>
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<img alt="Toronto Blue Jays v Boston Red Sox" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iiGB-Ghxe9565_g4O8u-woXHOpA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9326351/853837278.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="9jL551">The second inning made things much worse, though this is also where some factors outside of Pomeranz came into play. The Red Sox had actually taken a 2-1 lead heading into this inning — more on that in a second — but they wouldn’t hold it very long. The southpaw started things off by allowing a hit, though he quickly cancelled that with a routine double play ball. Then, things fell apart starting with a walk. After that, he allowed a decently hit infield single over to the right side. It was clearly a hit and not an error, but to me it looked like a play that <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/188685/deven-marrero">Deven Marrero</a> usually makes but just couldn’t get to in this instance. Then, with two on, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/244190/luke-maile">Luke Maile</a> hit a little pop up towards first base. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/424/hanley-ramirez">Hanley Ramirez</a> couldn’t get to it and opted to play it on a bounce, but the ball had such spin that it bounced away from Ramirez. Pomeranz didn’t get over to cover first — it was a mistake on his part but also some awful luck because with a normal bounce Ramirez could have easily taken it to the back himself — and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/257588/luke-maile">Maile</a> reached to load the bases. From there, it was hard contact as Pomeranz allowed back-to-back wall-ball doubles to give Toronto four runs and a 5-2 lead.</p>
<p id="P5mBY1">The lefty came back out in the third and after immediately allowing a single he was lifted from the game. He lasted only two-plus innings and allowed those five runs, all of which were earned. There were some real causes for concern in this outing, something we’ll get to more in-depth on Tuesday. However, it’s important to remember that this was his first truly bad outing in months. For his part, John Farrell deserves some credit for getting his pitcher out early when it was clear he didn’t have anything.</p>
<p id="vYUbh7">As for the Red Sox offense, it wasn’t a disaster of a game (aside from losing Nuñez again, of course) but it wasn’t a great one either. They, like the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/toronto-blue-jays">Blue Jays</a>, got off to a hot start with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/188683/xander-bogaerts">Xander Bogaerts</a> leading the game off with a single and Nuñez following it up with a double to put two in scoring position with nobody out. Both would end up scoring, but they both came home on ground balls which effectively killed the rally. Two runs in the first inning is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it seemed like it could have been more.</p>
<p id="XMalH3">From there, the Red Sox didn’t get much of anything going against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/68727/brett-anderson">Brett Anderson</a> in the next few innings. Though they’d get at least one baserunner leading up to the fifth, they never really threatened to score. That changed in that fifth inning when they’d get back on the board. That rally started with a Bogaerts walk that was followed by a base hit from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/253942/sam-travis">Sam Travis</a>, who came in for Nuñez. Unfortunately, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/285658/sam-travis">Travis</a> got a little greedy on the hard-hit ball off the Monster and was thrown out at second for the inning’s second out. Mookie Betts followed that up with a bloop single of his own to score one run, but Travis’ baserunning mistake helped make that inning quicker than it needed to be and it would end with a 5-3 lead for the Blue Jays. </p>
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<p id="WmYvrt">The Red Sox offense wouldn’t do too much more for a couple of innings until the eighth. The bad news is that this was when Betts left the game with his wrist injury. The good news is his replacement was <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/280966/andrew-benintendi">Andrew Benintendi</a>, and the rookie took a fastball up in the zone and smashed it over the wall in center field. It was only a solo homer so it didn’t tie the game, but it did bring Boston within one.</p>
<p id="vsLKGI">With Pomeranz leaving so early, it was up to the bullpen to cover a lot of innings in this one and, as they’ve been all year, they were up to the task. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/244583/austin-maddox">Austin Maddox</a> was in there first, and though he threw a lot more pitches than he’d have liked in his second at bat against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/190429/kevin-pillar">Kevin Pillar</a> he tossed 1 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> scoreless frames. Next up was <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/1011/blaine-boyer">Blaine Boyer</a>, who came in for 2 <sup>1</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> scoreless innings before giving way to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/188655/carson-smith">Carson Smith</a> for two scoreless. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/130295/addison-reed">Addison Reed</a> came in last, and he couldn’t keep the scoreless streak going as he allowed a solo home run in the ninth.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="aItdiH">
<p id="5TNnmA">So, the Red Sox couldn’t creep any closer to a division title and actually lost a game in the standings with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/new-york-yankees">Yankees</a> beating the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/kansas-city-royals">Royals</a> earlier in the afternoon. The magic number stays at three to clinch the division. The Red Sox will try to knock that down by at least one on Tuesday with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/112652/chris-sale">Chris Sale</a> getting the start.</p>
<p id="xpPuHg"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/blue-jays-vs-red-sox/2017/09/25/492442#game_state=live,game_tab=boxscore,game=492442">BOX</a></p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/25/16364594/red-sox-blue-jays-drew-pomeranz-eduardo-nunez-mookie-betts-bullpenMatt_Collins2017-09-25T16:59:01-04:002017-09-25T16:59:01-04:00Red Sox vs. Blue Jays lineup: Eduardo Nunez returns, Andrew Benintendi sits
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0nAliyRe0c928tRjso3iH-9jNzc=/0x0:3814x2543/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56847309/853161850.0.jpg" />
<p>The magic number is three. That’s what matters. The six wins in a row is a nice touch, though.</p> <p id="rtUlGl">The A.L. East title is so close I can almost figuratively taste it. I can already figuratively smell it, and I can’t smell anything. We’re close. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129125/drew-pomeranz">Drew Pomeranz</a> tries to bring us closer tonight back at home for the last time this regular season against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/toronto-blue-jays">Blue Jays</a>. Brett Anderson counters for Toronto, which could be out of gas after last night’s extended goodbye to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/389/jose-bautista">Jose Bautista</a> back at the Rogers Centre. Let’s hope Molson XXX put them away for us. </p>
<p id="9zWvAi">As you learned from the headline, Eduardo Nunez is back and DHing. Hanley’s at first. Here are the full lineups:</p>
<div id="Shyi0x"><div data-anthem-component="table:669676"></div></div>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/25/16362858/red-sox-vs-blue-jays-lineup-eduardo-nunez-returns-andrew-benintendi-sits-dogsbryanjoiner2017-09-25T12:00:02-04:002017-09-25T12:00:02-04:00Red Sox vs. Blue Jays Series Preview
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-wHRxr0PIStZkSOe5BjHMYmhHBo=/0x0:5235x3490/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56837117/843508610.0.jpg" />
<p>A look ahead to the season’s penultimate series</p> <h3 id="8fDR7t">SB Nation Blog</h3>
<p id="hHNZ9p"><a href="http://bluebirdbanter.com">Bluebird Banter</a></p>
<h3 id="bRxLpm">The opponent in one sentence</h3>
<p id="DVmRVo">The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/toronto-blue-jays">Blue Jays</a> are probably better than their place in the standings but they never recovered from a slow start to the year and couldn’t put themselves in contention all year long.</p>
<h3 id="ozVtLh">Record</h3>
<p id="buvf7M">73-83</p>
<h3 id="w11y3Q">Head to Head Record</h3>
<p id="NEbJkD"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/boston-red-sox">Red Sox</a> 12, Blue Jays 4</p>
<h3 id="aJRn3J">Trend</h3>
<p id="tmq1Zn">Up, slightly. Toronto has been treading water of late, which is better than they’ve been for much of the year. Over their last ten game, they won five. They are also coming off a series win that most Red Sox fans are likely aware of since they took two of three from the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/new-york-yankees">Yankees</a>. We all appreciate their strong performance over the weekend but hope they cut it out for the next three days.</p>
<h3 id="QQnm7M">Pitching Matchups</h3>
<p id="7uRBOK"><em><strong>These matchups are subject to change with it being the last week of the season.</strong></em></p>
<p id="uknLG9"><strong>9/25: </strong><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129125/drew-pomeranz"><strong>Drew Pomeranz</strong></a><strong> vs. </strong><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/68727/brett-anderson"><strong>Brett Anderson</strong></a><strong>, 7:10 PM ET</strong></p>
<p id="iqYSPJ">It’s been a long time since there was any doubt as to who was the second best starter on the Red Sox behind <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/112652/chris-sale">Chris Sale</a>. Pomeranz is going to pitch in Game Two of the ALDS — assuming the Red Sox don’t utterly collapse this week — and he absolutely deserves it. There is still a bit of worry that he is going to fatigue down the stretch, but he’s worked around some diminished velocity of late and has done nothing but put up great results all year long.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="MLB: Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_Ikt9XdMUH-NY3SEJMLpPo-DPfU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9318721/usa_today_10293192.jpg">
<cite>Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="v5Xguy"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/107692/brett-anderson">Anderson</a> has always been a pitcher with a fair amount of potential and is the type of pitcher on whom teams are always willing to take a chance. Toronto is the latest team to take that chance, as they picked him up after the lefty was released by the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/chicago-cubs">Cubs</a> back in July. He’s been healthy this year, at least, but the performance hasn’t been there. Although he’s never been a big strikeout pitcher, he’s been able to succeed in the past thanks to his ability to induce ground balls as well as strong control. He hasn’t done either of those things with Toronto and his numbers reflect that. Anderson does have one start against the Red Sox this year and allowed only one run in 5 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings. He features a low-90s/high-80’s fastball, a sinker with the same velocity, a slider, a changeup and a curveball.</p>
<p id="Ceh465"><strong>9/26: Chris Sale vs. </strong><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/225/j-a-happ"><strong>J.A. Happ</strong></a><strong>, 7:10 PM ET</strong></p>
<p id="awPwxm">As of this writing, <s>Monday</s> Tuesday is Sale Day, the best day of the week. There is still a chance they could change that, but the best guess from this writer is that this will be Sale’s final start of the week as he tries to make one last push for his Cy Young win. Obviously, that is not the most important thing to either Sale or the Red Sox fan base, but it sure would be nice for him to get some recognition for his great season. Not to mention we’d all like him to have a little momentum carrying into October.</p>
<p id="YGw29Y">Judging by ERA and wins, this season has been a step back for Happ from the last couple of seasons. Of course, that’s not the best way to judge pitchers and the truth is he’s been just about the same guy he’s always been. His strikeouts are up some as are his walks and home runs, two facts that cancel each other out for the most part. He’s not someone teams would like to build their rotations around but he’s continued to prove that he’s a solid pitcher from the left side. In three starts against the Red Sox this year he’s tossed 16 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on seven strikeouts and nine walks. Happ features a low-90s fastball, a low-90s/high-80s sinker, a slider and a changeup.</p>
<p id="8MyCST"><strong>9/27: </strong><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/32033/rick-porcello"><strong>Rick Porcello</strong></a><strong> vs. </strong><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/39094/marco-estrada"><strong>Marco Estrada</strong></a><strong>, 7:10 PM ET</strong></p>
<p id="k6Wlmt">Porcello’s season has been frustrating, and as we reach the end of it he is firmly entrenched in a battle for a postseason rotation spot. Every time it appears that he’s ready to turn things around he takes a few massive steps back. That’s what happened in his last time out. There is some chance that the Red Sox will shuffle things around to try and make his last start against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/houston-astros">Astros</a>, but they may not want to go through the process to make that possible. As of now, his final audition will be against this Blue Jays team, and it’s a huge start for his personal goal of pitching in October.</p>
<p id="mWs7El">Estrada had quietly been one of the better pitchers in the American League coming into this season, but things have taken a big step back this year. He’s always relied on fly balls to get outs, but he’s done a good enough job of keeping the ball in the yard for this style to not hurt him. That hasn’t worked out too well this year as his home runs are up and it’s been enough to destroy his numbers. In three starts against the Red Sox this year he’s allowed just two runs in 17 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings with 13 strikeouts and 12 walks. Estrada features a low-90s/high-80s fastball to go with a changeup.</p>
<h3 id="Z98GS4">Old Friends</h3>
<p id="fN69ve">None. Stupid Blue Jays</p>
<h3 id="cWsgx4">Notable Hitters</h3>
<p id="ifRGsI"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/389/jose-bautista">Jose Bautista</a> is no longer the best hitter on this Blue Jays team, but this is a big week for him and Toronto faithful. The slugger is a free agent at the end of the season — assuming the Blue Jays decline his option, which they will — and it’s the end of an era for this team. If there are Blue Jays fans in Fenway this week expect to hear plenty of cheers for their biggest star in recent memory.</p>
<p id="R8pLnv"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/69219/justin-smoak">Justin Smoak</a> has been one of the most surprising players in baseball this year and has been consistently scary in the middle of Toronto’s lineup all year. However, for whatever it may be worth, Smoak’s power has dropped off in a somewhat significant way this month.</p>
<p id="45IEsU"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/31593/josh-donaldson">Josh Donaldson</a> remains the best player on the Blue Jays and almost certainly will be as long as he is on this roster. If they do decide to go through a rebuild, though, he’ll be the number one player they look to trade.</p>
<p id="OLVG7H"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/244703/teoscar-hernandez">Teoscar Hernandez</a> hasn’t been up with the Blue Jays for long, but he’s already worked his way to the top of their lineup and played a big role in their series victory over the Yankees. The outfielder strikes out a ton and hardly ever walks, but his power is a threat every time he comes to the plate.</p>
<p id="Kl98Ne"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/714/kendrys-morales">Kendrys Morales</a> has not lived up to the hopes of Toronto as he was brought in to take over for Edwin Encarnacion. His power has been fine, though it hasn’t been quite as elite as many had hoped and not nearly enough to make up for his lack of excellence elsewhere in his game.</p>
<p id="anlH1n"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/190429/kevin-pillar">Kevin Pillar</a> makes a lot of contact and does little else at the plate, though he’s one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball.</p>
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<img alt="MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZcopfT6sMdNTXXN6C13MpjTTc-k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9318723/usa_today_10256625.jpg">
<cite>Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="voOeZv"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/885/russell-martin">Russell Martin</a> hasn’t been able to make hard contact for much of the year but he’s been a solid hitter for his position thanks to extreme patience to get him on base.</p>
<h3 id="AnSHTq">Bullpen Snapshot</h3>
<p id="PCQ1jU"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/189835/roberto-osuna">Roberto Osuna</a> has had a tumultuous season that has involved some bad outings and, more importantly, some battles with anxiety. Through it all, he’s put up the best numbers of his career and at just 22 years old he remains arguably the most exciting reliever in all of baseball. </p>
<p id="EFFTsC"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/151492/ryan-tepera">Ryan Tepera</a> as solidified himself as the second most trusted reliever in the Blue Jays bullpen, and while he wouldn’t serve that role on a better team his strikeout ability definitely gives him a place in this league.</p>
<p id="Sqd3et"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/241641/dominic-leone">Dominic Leone</a> is probably a little bit better than <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/255322/ryan-tepera">Tepera</a> thanks to stronger command and slightly better stuff and he’ll get his due moving forward provided he can continue to keep the ball in the yard.</p>
<p id="LGynCG"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/152240/aaron-loup">Aaron Loup</a> is Toronto’s top left-handed option and though he’s fought some control issues this year he still gets plenty of strikeouts and keeps the ball on the ground.</p>
<h3 id="jZ0dL8">Injuries</h3>
<p id="XiELOO"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/190271/aaron-sanchez"><strong>Aaron Sanchez</strong></a> was hoping to build off his breakout 2016 this year but he’s been on and off the disabled list all season long. His latest stint started in July and while they hope he can come back before the end of the year it’s undoubtedly a lost year for the righty.</p>
<p id="IuSiI0">Troy Tulowitzki’s downfall since joining the Blue Jays has been startling to see and he’s going to miss essentially the entire second half after suffering an ankle injury in late July.</p>
<p id="CYqQfE"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/190769/devon-travis"><strong>Devon Travis</strong></a> has only been able to play in 50 games this year thanks to knee issues and it’s still unclear when he’ll be able to return.</p>
<p id="wcXMq4"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/151849/dalton-pompey"><strong>Dalton Pompey</strong></a> suffered a major concussion in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-baseball-classic"><strong>World Baseball Classic</strong></a> last spring and then suffered a knee injury during his rehab. He’s still not close to returning.</p>
<p id="R1OyT8"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/61114/cesar-valdez"><strong>Cesar Valdez</strong></a> had a rough run in the Blue Jays rotation and is now out with a shoulder injury that could cause him to miss the rest of the year.</p>
<p id="LAJ61Y"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/129904/darrell-ceciliani"><strong>Darrell Ceciliani</strong></a> hasn’t been able to play in Toronto’s outfield since May and underwent season ending surgery in August.</p>
<p id="mHS7kR"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/players/152352/bo-schultz"><strong>Bo Schultz</strong></a> underwent Tommy John surgery in April and is hoping to be able to start next season on time.</p>
<h3 id="c72PJu">Weather Forecast</h3>
<p id="SQRDrU">It should be a nice week in Boston for this series, though expect some muggy and humid weather. Hopefully that will break on Tuesday — it’s September get out of here with this humidity — but that could also lead to a few showers during the second game of this series.</p>
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/25/16359076/red-sox-blue-jays-series-previewMatt_Collins